Autumn Ponderings

Hello,

It’s good to be back! The fireworks really frighten me so I climb up on my Mummy’s lap and burrow my head under her arm until they finish. If she has to go and do anything, Auntie takes my place or I lie on the floor close to her, then I climb back on her lap when she sits down. Mummy says that if I wasn’t epileptic, she would try to toughen me up a bit, but she tries to keep stress to a minimum for me. I AM getting better though, and only tried to hide at the back of the cupboard once this year. My People also taught me that I am just as safe with Auntie as I am with Mummy so this meant that Mummy was able to go to a Fireworks Display in the nearby town (she LIKES fireworks! I don’t understand!). She met up with Auntie Judy and Uncle Ricky – this is the one day of the year that they always get together. Mummy was nervous about it but apparently Auntie Judy behaved herself and didn’t say anything wrong and Uncle Ricky was ok with her and bought Mummy a beer so it was all ok.



We have had some nice walks with Melody. One day, though, it was pouring with rain when poor Auntie Geri decided that she needed to climb through a ditch and took quite a spectacular fall when an evil bramble from heck wrapped itself around her foot and tripped her up. She had to go the The Bone Cricker to get put right. Melo is a bit of a wonky dog (it makes me love her more) and she goes to The Bone Cricker sometimes too and gets her pelvis sorted out. We met some lovely dogs today – two Briards and a Giant schnauzer, all ladies, all lovely, and we saw Blossom so that was a very enjoyable walk indeed. It was sunny and bright and cold and Auntie Geri and Mummy were discussing how beautiful the autumn colours are this year.

We met a lady the other week who Mummy didn’t like one bit. She had two dogs, one 19 month old GSD and one elderly lady dog about whom Mummy said that if she was a GSD then so is Mummy (!). This woman was boasting to Mummy about her old fashioned training methods and that she had thrown her puppy to the floor 30 times in the last 3 weeks. Mummy was appalled and tried to educate her about positive training methods but the woman just talked over her and kept saying “Right” at the end of every sentence (which Mummy HATES) so Mummy was getting really annoyed, especially when Mummy told her how she and I have worked hard so that I will be polite to strange dogs because I am a bit nervous of them when my head is fuzzy and the woman said that I am NOT fear aggressive, I am dominant aggressive, which Mummy thinks is nonsense because I am not a dominant dog, I don’t like responsibility! Apparently this woman had had her dog out working for 4 hours and wants to buy some land off the farmer to work the poor thing and we GSDs shouldn’t even be out for that long until we are 2 as we have to protect our hips. Mummy thinks the woman is an idiot, but she says that what is really frightening is that this woman kept quoting a local dog Warden and said that these are her methods and she rehomes GSDs all the time which Mummy says is a frightening thought as no dog trained so harshly should be going to a pet home.


Bella and Dylan have to be on their leads from now on because they were very naughty the other week. They picked up a scent and ran off and thy were not found until the next day, in a village 4 miles away, tired and cold with bleeding feet. Now they stay on lead and have to behave. Mummy says that Uncle Benjamin went missing for 2 hours once and that was bad enough. She says that I am never to go missing and I don’t plan to – when I did jump through the window, I came home when I couldn’t find her. I just want My People!

I went for a walk with my Auntie today because poor Mummy is ill again – but proper ill this time, she has to be feeling really bad if she doesn’t take me out. I could tell that she was feeling horrid though and I didn’t hassle her to take me herself, in fact it was nice going with Auntie, we went a good distance and she threw my ball a lot and we saw Auntie Geri and Melody at the end of the walk so all in all, it was pretty good!


Mummy and Auntie are struggling with money just now so Mummy was very embarrassed because she had planned a get-together for a group of her friends to celebrate Christmas and now she can’t afford to go. She was talking on the phone with Auntie Tracy about it and Tracy said that she should cancel the night and that everyone would understand, and then Uncle Steve and her said that they will treat Mummy and Auntie to a lunch out so that Mummy will still have an outing at Christmas and it will be with close friends so they can ‘have a laugh’. Mummy is very very grateful and she and Auntie accepted (this is Auntie’s doing as she is very proud) only on the condition that they can take them out in return when their finances improve. Auntie Tracy was right about the friends too – she said that if they were any sort of friends, then they would understand and when Mummy did talk to them everyone was really nice and some of them said that they couldn’t afford it wither so Mummy was doing them a favour. On the rare occasion that Auntie and Mummy both go out in the evening, I go round Auntie Angie’s - she cuddles me all the time and I get to go on the put up bed in her living room and we lie on that together, sometimes with the two girls as well (Ella is 4 and Lauren is 2) and that is all snugly and nice and I enjoy it!

Mummy says please don’t ask about the whole The Mother saga. She broke her heart about losing The Holiday and now she discovers that the arrangement was only ever supposed to be for six weeks. Auntie Judy is making big dramas about The New Home and is reporting it (that’s what she did at the last Home and she was always moaning about the one before as well!) and then she says she is moving her to a new New Home but then she is told that something terrible happened there and people were heard screaming (!) but she chooses not to believe it (!) and wants to move her there anyway and then she can’t get the funding sorted etc etc etc. She came over uninvited last Sunday and disturbed our weekend and was talking on and on about this stuff and poor Mummy was getting more and more thin-lipped and cross.

Auntie Geri is still working hard to get her Hypnobirthing and Hypnotherapy business off the ground but now she has got a ‘proper’ job as well, doing promotion work for some people she met at a business function. She is enjoying it very much and tells us all about it on our walks.

Baby Harry has fitted right in to our household but he is not the quiet little bird we expected him to be, he chirps almost as loudly as Oliver does. He soon learned that lights out means silence and those birds are not to chirp until Mummy wakes up in the morning and he comes out and has a fly when I am not there because I am frightened of flapping wings – don’t ask me why, I just don’t like it….


Well, that is my news for now, I hope you are all well and enjoy my Autumn pictures,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Catching Up

Hello everyone,

Well, it has been a week since Melody came on our walk (we looked after her while Auntie Geri was away) and I am starting to miss her. I expect that we will get a call from Auntie Geri soon because Melo moans at her after a while if she doesn’t see me. They did pop round one night with some Duty Free for My People and Mel and I caught up while The People chatted but it’s not the same as a walk, is it…

It is good to have Auntie back (she stayed down there. I wouldn't let Mel come here). I didn’t really believe it for a couple of days, and kept expecting her to go off again, especially at the weekend when she went out with her friends for her birthday. Mummy and I are good at being home alone together though and have a routine sorted – she gives me extra attention and often a grooming so it’s not all bad!

Auntie’s actual birthday fell a bit flat because she had some financial worries and also her work kept calling her up on her day off and this made her cross. My People held her birthday again the next day – they went out for dinner and drank wine and gave me some sausage and it was a nice day. On Sunday, Auntie Claire took my Auntie out so Mummy and I had a lovely walk in the sunshine then sat in the garden for a while and had a cuddle and it was nice. It was just what my Mummy needed because they are short-staffed at work, she says, and she has financial worries too so she has been getting very stressed – I think that is why she keeps getting sick so often. She and Auntie are poorly again now. I try to be a good and cuddly boy and help them when times are like this.

Talking of being a good boy, Mummy has been working me hard teaching me to Wait and to Leave and I am starting to behave myself when I see dogs who I do not like – on Saturday, we had the ultimate test when we met That Springer Spaniel who I HATE and I sat nicely for my Mummy and didn’t even pull and she was SO pleased with me!!! We met two new dogs when I was with Bella and Dylan too and I behaved then so I am doing well. Mummy says that that old bag Raye will see whose dog is good and whose dog isn’t (she is still smarting from hearing that her ex friend is putting it about that I am a horrible aggressive dog all because I growl sometimes and it’s not true, I only growl because I am frightened or when I am coming up for a fit and I feel vulnerable). Mummy says that I can growl if I feel I must but that I have to sit nicely for her and not move when I do so – so long as I do that, she says, she doesn’t mind what language I use!!!

We are pleased to hear that The Mother wants to move from Our Seaside but at the same time, My People say it is a shame because she is being looked after very well at The New Home and Auntie Judy is being stupid listening to her and should leave her where she is safe, which is what Auntie Judy agreed with my Mummy the other week so Mummy wonders why she bothers talking...

Well, I had better go, I hope you are all well,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Hello!

Hello!





I got the sulks because I thought nobody reads me here any more so I haven't been writing except in my very own space which belongs to brucebuns only. Now that I know that Wendy is worrying about me - sorry Wendy, I am ok! - I will catch up properly in the next few days. Thanks for asking about me!

Happy Birthday auntie for today!!!!!

Bruce xxx

Mending Mummy

Hello

Mummy is starting to feel better so a big thank you to her for helping me to write again. We were sticking to our summer routine before she got sick so she would go to work, come home and pop me out to the loo and then we would go out properly in the evening. We got into a habit of not walking far but playing with my Frisbee lots and lots. I was just starting to get bored with this when Mummy got poorly. I don’t see the same friends in the evening and I miss them. I did get a couple of short walks with my Melo but it’s not the same. Also I am frightened of the Hot Air Balloons that fly over in the evenings….

I got a sore foot and Mummy and Auntie thought I might have a grass seed in it – it was really irritating me so I kept worrying at it and made it sore. Mummy and I walked across to the vet and Auntie met us there. We had a new vet, a nice Scottish man who admired me lots and lots so Mummy told him that he can’t have me! He said that it was just dermatitis where something had irritated my skin and gave us some ointment. Auntie was supposed to be walking home with us but was poorly prepared so we walked her to the edge of town and then waited at the bus stop to put her on the bus, but when the bus came, the driver said that I could get on so I had my first bus ride! It was fun! It was like a great big car but I had to sit on the floor and there were other people there as well as The Driver and My People which is unusual – none of them patted me though, even though I gave them my best “Do you want to stroke me?” look.

We might not have to do that much longer as Auntie is taking driving lessons now that her eye has been fixed so we may end up with a car, you never know!

The next day, My People went to the pictures and saw ‘Hairspray’ which they thought was great but then Mummy was good for nothing, she said, and she lay down and pretty much didn’t move until Tuesday apart from to take me for very short walks to the shop or to the field where Auntie would throw my Frisbee. We saw Max the Beagle on Wednesday night and had a bit of a walk with him and Mummy had booked Thursday off work anyway. That day, we had to stay in all morning. We had men come out and finish our bathroom, the Sky Man to fix the TV (it turned out that the signal was blocked by our tree so Mummy had to trim it!) and another man to put our loo back in because the first men had left it in the front garden!!!

Mummy went back to work on Friday and then she was shattered and also sad because one of her favourite colleagues is leaving. Over the weekend, she stayed home with me – Auntie stayed over Auntie Claire’s on Friday night and Mummy slept until noon the next day!

She started to take me for walks at my proper time this weekend, in the afternoon, which I like better because there are no balloons and there is less shooting. She prefers the radio at that time of day too. I hope to see my Melo soon for a proper walk.

We still don’t know about The Mother and The Holiday Place by the way….and My People were sad because The Daddy would have been 75 that day if he were alive…

I hope you are all well, regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Ups And Downs

Hello!

Apologies again for the lack of weekday blogging – because of Mummy’s burned face (which is much better but she has to keep it out of the sun for six months), we have been having evening walks. In the afternoon, she won’t come up here to type out my dictation (!) because she won’t leave me when she has just got home from work, and in the evening she walks me and then cooks the tea and spends time with Auntie so all round, she doesn’t get up here to do this for me.

Mummy is feeling a bit delicate this morning because she and Auntie drank rum last night and had a curry to relax. They are both a bit stressed and fed up and it was the last one of a programme they have been watching so they decided to kick back. Today, Auntie has gone to work so Mummy doesn’t want to stay upstairs for long.

As usual, we could not believe a word Auntie Judy says. The Mother is moving to Our Seaside after all and my people are very upset. They don’t know whether to be stubborn and go there and hope they won’t meet her or to give up and go somewhere else. I am part of their worries as I don’t cope well with new places but I also don’t cope well with stressful situations and meeting the Mother would, I am told, be very stressful – Uncle Benjamin used to bark and bark at her to go away and he was a very sociable dog with lots of friends, Mummy says –The Mother must have done something very bad indeed to make him act like that!

Last weekend, my friends Auntie Tracy and Uncle Steve came over for the afternoon. I was feeling a bit fuzzy-headed and so was Steve but we had a nice afternoon. Auntie Tracy had some good news about a training place she wanted and has got so we were all happy for her. I got over excited and jumped up at My Auntie and accidentally put my mouth round her boob – I don’t know who was more surprised, me or her! My people say that those things get in the way of everything anyway…

Mummy went to Auntie’s work the other day and met The Man Who Upset Her. Mummy was polite to him but she says that he was squirming in his chair and getting smaller and smaller. If you have upset my people, Man, then be afraid, be very afraid…

I have a brand new Frisbee which flies a long way so that makes me happy. And my Mummy has gone back to the ward which isn’t so heavy so that makes her happy. Now we just need to make Auntie happy!

Yesterday, My People were meant to go the cinema but Uncle Ricky couldn’t go so they are waiting till next week. They went and got their hair cut instead and brought me back my new Frisbee and some munchies. Yum!

I hope you are well and hope that my friend Hugo the Elder is still alive and well,

regards,

Bruce xxx

Aunties back!

Hello eveybody!
Auntie here. Just a quick note so say that Bruce is not feeling too great so he asked me to post on here tonight. He is quiet today, he does not want his food and he did'nt want to go on his walk although it is raining heavily today to that might explain something!
Bruce has had a nice week so far. Although alot of the country has flooded due to heavy rain we have been lucky around here and we are flood free so far. Bruce, Mummy and I have been enjoying some very nice evening walks in the sunshine. We have been taking the frizbee with us and have taken advantage of some of the freshly cut fields!
Bruce enjoyed a visit from a couple of our friends yesterday. I fact Bruce has enjoyed a few visitors around the house latley. They all give him a big old fuss so he is a happy boy!
Fingers crossed Bruce will be feeling better soon and will be back online to day hi to everyone!
Take care,
Auntie xx

The Mummy Returns

Hello!

Mummy is here to help me again – hoooorayyyyy! Thank you Auntie for sitting in but I am glad that Mummy is better – the burns made her a bit miserable and then she took some tablets that made her really sleepy so she really wasn’t much fun for a while there. Now she isn’t meant to go out in the sun until her skin settles down and then she has to wear sun block and a hat and she says she will keep out of the sun in the middle of the day, all of which means that we have moved my main walk until the evenings. This is quite nice, actually, because it is cooler and I get to meet different dogs (I chatted up an elderly lady Jack Russell type the other day and she told me off for sniffing too closely!!), Auntie can come with us and My People bring my Frisbee and I get to chase it a lot. I drowned my yellow in a puddle but My People got it out again then I drowned my brand new pink Frisbee in a ditch and Mummy told me that I was a Bad dog lots and lots of times. Boooooo.

Last winter, I drowned a brand new pink Frisbee in a pond so Mummy and I walked to that pond and it had dried up so Mummy dug the Frisbee out of the mud at the bottom and then we played with that one.

My People were very anxious because the Big Decision was going to happen this week about The Mother and The Seaside. Mummy talked for ages to Auntie Judy the night before and she explained that all the reasons why we like our Seaside are all the reasons why The Mother would not enjoy leaving there – it’s a very small town (it’s called a town but it’s about the same size as our village), there are hardly any people therefore hardly any places to eat and drink, the place is full of memories, the places to stay are a long way from the shops and pubs. This all suits My People but would be difficult for an old heavy lady in a wheelchair who can only walk a few steps, especially as the bit with the pubs and shops and chippy is very hilly! We don’t know if this got relayed back to The Mother but the next day, apparently she looked at a new Home and said she didn’t want to go there but she doesn’t want to live in our Seaside either - she wants to stay in the Seaside where she already lives!!

Mummy and Auntie both visibly relaxed when they heard this – Mummy was out on a walk with me in the woods and ended up crying as we were walking and telling me that I was a very good boy and stroking me, I don’t know why. Apparently, The Mother might have to go to Our Seaside for a short while until the Social Worker can sort out a home in the right town, and so we might lose it for this year and have to try somewhere new, but we will hopefully get it back for other years. And I LOVE our seaside so that makes me happy!

Poor Auntie went out with That Man Who upset her on Friday. She stayed out all night (she slept at Auntie Judy’s) and I slept by the door in case she came home, which Mummy thought was sweet. Auntie got very drunk on her night out and was sick and had a row with That Man so it wasn’t good. Yesterday, Mummy went to town to meet her and Uncle Ricky and they saw the Harry Potter movie (which they enjoyed) and then Auntie came home and cuddled me then had a sleep and we had a nice walk in the evening when My People talked and talked and talked…..

An old friend of Mummy’s who she used to go to school with and who I have never met is coming to see us this afternoon. Mummy is a bit nervous and Auntie is frantically cleaning (Mummy will start tidying and washing up and all that stuff when Auntie has done the floor). Mummy was saying that the Headmistress in the movie was just like the Headmistress in the school that her and this lady Emma used to go. I think she might be nervous. I hope the new lady will like me….

Regards to all, Bruce xxx

Tonights special guest - Auntie!

Hi all,

Auntie here! Bruce has asked me to make a guest appearance as unfortunatley Mummy has not been well so he has not liked to ask her to help him post.

Mummy has got a rather nasty burn on her face after a mishap while cooking. She will be all better soon but because of the burn she has not been able to go out in the sun and will have to be careful for some time. Poor Mummy, just as the great british summer has finally given us some sun instead of rain she has to stay out of it.

Bruce has been lucky though, he has still managed to see some of his friends. He had a small walk with Melody the other day and this morning he ran into Blossom while I took him for his morning stroll.

This evening turned out to be quite eventful, we thought we would have a nice walk over the fields as the sun is not that strong. We threw the frizbee and lost it in a cornfield but clever Bruce used his nose and found it! After all his hard work we had to hide under a tree as we got caught in a storm! As you may know Bruce does not like storms but today he was very brave and although soggy we all got home just fine!

Fingers crossed Mummy will be feeling better soon and she will be able to help Bruce with his blogging, they both send their regards and hope you are all well!

Take care,

Auntie xxx

Wimbledon Weather

Hello,

Poor Mummy didn’t have a chest infection but she did have a nasty fluey virus and has felt horrible this week. She should have stayed home from work and she kept talking about it, but she didn’t feel able to because they are very short-staffed there, she said, and some of the patients might not have been treated if she wasn’t there. She came home each day very tired and my walks got slower and slooooower….! Good old Mummy still took me on my proper walks though (she did have to have a sleep afterwards though) despite her feeling so rough and its raining a lot (though not as much as some parts of the country, which have flooded). She listened to the tennis on our walks and was very cross with somebody called Tim.

Everybody around us seems to be having problems in their relationships. Mummy is pleased, she says, that she has “climbed off that merry-go-round” and “doesn’t bother with men any more” and she says that life is much better with just her, Auntie and me. I certainly like it that way. I don’t think that I would like to share her with some man. Auntie had her big meeting with The Man who upset her and they are going to be friends. Mummy goes all thin-lipped when they talk about him and keeps saying that she is going to feed his man bits to me. She says she will put them in batter with sweet and sour sauce…could be interesting!

I saw my Melody the other day. We called for her one day, but Auntie Geri was out but Melody heard Mummy go “BrucIEEE!” to me (which means that I had better ‘get here now’, or get moaned at) and then Melo started howling and calling to me. The next day, Auntie Geri sent Mummy a message saying that Melo had been “bursting out of her skin” so could they walk together. Mummy confessed that it was her fault that Melo was so wound up.

Auntie is out with Auntie Claire now talking about “things”. There’s an awful lot of talk about “things” right now. I’m glad that I am not a human and that I am single.

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Hello,

There have been a lot of thunderstorms this week so we have kept the computer turned off for much of the time, and I have been staying close to my Mummy a lot too so she has not liked to go upstairs and leave me in order to type this for me.

My People went back to work on Monday. Auntie was still feeling pretty down and not eating much, which worried Mummy so she was glad when Aunties Claire and Devika asked her round to their homes on successive evenings as Auntie could talk things over with them (My People do like to talk!). Mummy had discovered that she hasn’t been able to pay the rent this month (and the bank has fined her for the privilege!) so she was pretty fed up too.

We had workmen in on Tuesday. Mummy stayed home with me and they put some new floorboards in the bathroom and a new bath. We also had two men in to check our gas fire was working properly. It was a very disturbed day and then there was thunder so it’s no surprise that I had a fit the next day. I had a nice walk with Melody one day though – it was short but sweet as we had had our proper walk and were only going down the village but it was still nice to see her. There has been lots more rain and lots more thunder over the last few days. I don’t like it at all, and Mummy does not like the muggy, buggy weather. We did get out between storms yesterday and I met a new Springer spaniel called Max who is 10 months old and is another puppy who barks at me when I pee, just like Dylan does! Can’t a man pee in peace around here??!!

Mummy had a long chat with Auntie Tracy The Tree hugger the other night – she is still cheesed off with Auntie Judy and the whole The Mother/The Seaside situation (no news yet, it’s all about money apparently – you poor People always seem to have to worry about money). She had also had a dream which upset her. Auntie Tracy TTH made her feel better. Mummy is not feeling at her best today and she thinks she may be brewing a chest infection – she is certainly coughing a lot right now. She might even be louder than the budgies!

I hope you are all well,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Happy Birthday Mummy!

Hello everybody,

Well, My People have had this week off work and it has been a very mixed week. On Monday, the Council Man came out to look at our bathroom. Ever since we have moved in, the bath and toilet have both leaked so the Council Men would come out and patch things up and then they would leak again – the water drips on my head and into my bowls and there is a big dark fungussy patch above where I sleep. The Council wanted to fix this and Mummy said that they couldn't until they fixed the bathroom properly as it would only leak again and they have already re-plastered it before. So The Man came out and he said the toilet leaks because the floor moves (!) so the floor has to be replaced, and the bath leaks because it has splits in it which Mummy apparently said when My People moved in with Uncle Benjamin, the dog before me and also Uncle Barney the Cavalier. The Men are coming out this Tuesday to fix it all so my Mummy will go back to work for one day and then have to take another day off (she says a big thank you to her boss Lisa for okaying this).

On Tuesday, we walked all the way to the vets to get my blood test done, but Mike The Vet said that I only need to have it once a year now. I did not escape the needle though as I had to have my injection. I also got weighed and I now weigh 48kg which Mike says is too heavy but My People say is what my breeder expected me to weigh because that's what my Father weighed. We walked home and were all very tired, then My People left me here alone while they went off to see Pirates 3, which they said was good but not as good as the other two.

On Wednesday, Auntie went off shopping and Mummy stayed home with me. It thunder stormed that evening and I trembled a lot. On Thursday, we saw Auntie Geri and Melody in the daytime. in the evening, Mummy and Auntie Had Words but they made up again after they had both cried. They said that they both get like this because of stuff that happened to them with The Mother... it all came to a halt when Mummy spoke to my former Auntie Raye (she has been de-Auntie'd) who was nasty about my Auntie and Mummy got very fierce and angry and told her off big time so now they are not friends any more.

On Friday, we had an early walk and I sulked a lot because I knew that that meant they were going out. They went off to the zoo with Auntie Claire and Uncle Geoff and looked at lots of animals who aren't me so I'm not impressed. Auntie was sad that night because A Man upset her very badly and now they are not 'that sort of friends' any more though she says that she will have to remain friendly with him as he is a colleague. Mummy called him some very bad names indeed and wants to rip his private parts off and feed them to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had an upset stomach that night because I ate something pooey on my walk.

Not That Man's privates though!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, we had another early walk and the they went out for a meal with Uncle Ricky. I had been poorly again in the morning so I didn't eat yesterday and slept for most of the day. Judy upset my Mummy later by being nasty about My People not feeling safe around The Mother (she doesn't believe them about the Bad Things that The Mother has done) so Mummy was glad that she spoke to her yesterday and not today – though she waited to open her card from The Mother until today which was obviously a mistake as she has gone a bit quiet… And today is My Mummy's birthday! Uncle Rick came over to see her open her presents and we are having a nice day and I am going to try some fish and rice soon.

Happy Birthday Mummy!

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Good To Be Back

Hello,

At last, Auntie has finished her project and Mummy and I can get back on the computer. We are all well. The weather has been very up and down – some days have been very hot and some days have been cold and rainy – typical of the time of year, I suppose. My People have been ok, but they have been getting more and more tired and now they are both going to have a week off work and be home with me lots, which makes me happy.

Auntie Geri’s new business is starting to take off and she has had some good reports back from contented clients, which is good. We have been walking with her and Melody about once a week and we are always happy to see each other and greet each other through the catflap. Auntie Angie next door has split up with her boyfriend and is feeling a bit fed up and she can have all the cuddles she wants to, especially as she gave me some chicken today over the fence (she asked Mummy if it was ok before she did so).

My People are upset because The Mother is almost definitely going to move to Our Holiday place. Mummy has lots of memories of her family and of the dogs who came before me and she likes to share them with me and Auntie and she is sad that she probably won’t be able to do this for a long time.

My People saw Spiderman 3 and enjoyed it and they are going to see Pirates 3 this week, and they are going to go to the zoo with Auntie Claire. I like Auntie Claire, she is one of my favourite people. She came round to look after me when I was very small (along with Geoff, who is now her husband) and I have always been very fond of the pair of them.

Auntie Tracy and Uncle Steve have been struggling for money so Steve is doing lots of agency work in factories and things. I like it when they come to see me because Tracy cuddles me nicely and Steve is funny, especially when he talks to me man to man!!

Uncle Rick has started his new job. My People took him out for lunch to congratulate him and they said he seemed quite touched. He comes over most weekends. It is good that My People are close to him, especially for me because I like to play with him. They are not close to Auntie Judy, who torments me and the budgies and is rather annoying, and Mummy is very cross with her at the moment about The Seaside thing.

Auntie still goes to the pub with that boy from work and stays out late, and I don’t like that. If I ever meet him, I will stare at him and tell him that I am The Man and these are MY women!

I think that is all for now. I hope you are all well,

regards,

Catching Up

Hello,

Mummy feels up to helping me today and we are at home instead of going for a long walk (we had two short walks but I asked to go home) because it is raining and raining…I don’t really like getting soaked. I do, however, really enjoy getting towelled down afterwards – it feels lovely! Mummy and Auntie were very cross about the Eurovision Song Contest. Everybody knew that the UK song didn’t deserve to do well, but when not one Western European song did well, and some of those were good songs, Mummy said it was obvious that something has to be done. She says that they should have an Eastern and a Western semi-final and then the top ten of each should compete and only those countries should be able to vote, though the others could vote to decide if there was split decision…Mummy says they’ll have to do something about it or the countries that pay the most, who are all from the West, will pull their money out…I have had some lovely walks with Melody.

Auntie Geri still has great plans for her Hypnobirthing business – she is setting up a conference and has had her first successful births so she is very happy. When I go round for her, she sticks her pointy head out of the cat flap and we whine and bark to each other until the door is opened. Then Melody does this funny thing when she comes out of her door, where she dances to the end of her lead and leaps and twists in the air, all smily face and wiggles, and then she darts back to heel and out again until she feels ready to walk sensibly. She isn’t allowed to go off the lead because she doesn’t always come back and goes off and gets herself cut up on hedges and stones and things (she cuts really easily) so this is her only chance to have a mad skitter.

Dylan and Bella are well. When Melody met them, Bella took a step back – I think Melody told her to back off, but I am in charge of which lady I pay attention to so I wandered over to Bella and gave her a kissy and then she gave a little doggy smile that made Mummy laugh.

We have had some hot weather over the last few days. Mummy let me have a dunk in the lake – it was nowhere near the fishermen but they shouted at Mummy to “get that ***dog out of the water”. She ignored them as I was coming out anyway, and she kept making rude signs at them but it was ok because they couldn’t see her for the trees. I think, the mood she was in, she might have done it anyway…which isn’t good….

The Mother has replayed an old act, apparently. Twice before, she pretended to have major problems with her…erm…back end….and had all sorts of investigations before the doctors realised there was nothing wrong. This time, Auntie Judy rang My People to say The Mother was bleeding from her back end and might be dying etc and when they went to the doctor, the problem had magically gone away. Auntie gets very cross that The Mother keeps putting everyone through this over and over again, but Mummy just gets tired. The Mother is supposed to have kidney failure now and she is going to be given the drugs that she was told, before, that she couldn’t have because of her weak kidneys so Auntie Judy says she expects to hear that The Mother has collapsed….Mummy says she gives up, none of them know what they are doing and nobody listens to her. I am just glad that we are estranged from The Mother and I don’t have to see her and My People don’t have to get involved with all that any more…

Well, I hope that you are all well and I will try to write more regularly after today,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Quickie

Hi

Mummy has had a busy week with not much time to help me but she just has time to post a pic so I will quickly tell you that we are all ok and I will write properly soon,

Regards

Bruce xxx

Brudini

Hello everyone

I have not been a well boy (again!) and that is why Mummy and I took so long to write. It was my own fault – the manky black and white cat from along the road pulled some mouldy chicken out of next door’s bin and I ate it. After that, I had a very upset stomach indeed. One night last week, I kept Mummy up most of the night needing to be let out, then for the next few nights I still had to wake her at times. She put me on a soft diet but didn’t starve me at first (I always make her feel really guilty when she starves me) but then she did make me go without food for one day. However, when I started to eat again, it made my tummy hurt. Also, Mummy says that she thinks the blood levels of my tablets had dropped – all I know is that I had tummyache and a fuzzy head so I paced all night on Monday and Mummy only got one hour’s sleep.

But that’s not the end of it! Mummy had gotten Auntie up in the middle of the night that night so they had both lost sleep, but they still went to work. However, I really needed to go, and I was determined not to be a dirty boy and go indoors so I opened the windows and jumped out so that I could poo outside. When I couldn’t get back in, I set off down the road in the direction that Mummy goes off in the morning so that I could find her and she could let me back in.

A lady down the road found me and made me come back home and then Auntie Angie let me in - she has a key (I wish I had thought of that!). She called Auntie who called Mummy and Mummy had a good moan at me when I came home - but then she cuddled me a lot because she was glad I was safe.

My People put my tablets up for a couple of days and now I am back to normal and also my poops are normal now and my tummy no longer hurts so that is good news, eh!

On Saturday, Mummy and I walked to the vets to collect my prescription and on the way we met my new friend Max. Max is a 1 year old Beagle and he is usually naughty off the lead but he walks nicely with me. I had had a walk with Melody the day before, and then yesterday I saw my friends the Bassets and I was chasing Bella all over the place and her Mummy said that I must be feeling better. We saw Tucker the barking dog on the way home with Auntie Maureen and her son and we walked back with them and I chased Tucker too!

Auntie Judy and The Mother are going to look at a The New Home today in our favourite Seaside. Mummy says not to worry; as she said before, if The Mother moves there then we will have our Holiday at the Seaside where she lives now instead, as it will be safe to go there once she has gone, which I suppose is ok so long as we don’t have to go back to the first Seaside we went to which was booooooring! And I like staying in a room better than a caravan so I am hoping that The Mother won’t like Our Seaside and we can keep it and she can live elsewhere.

Mummy is pleased because she had a day off today to go for a health check and her blood pressure was the same as last time and that makes her happy….

Tonight is the Eurovision Song Contest Semi-final. My people will watch it for hooours and then again on Saturday night when it is the final. Mummy says that the Greek entry is good but either Belarus or Switzerland will win. She is embarrassed by the British entry but Auntie likes it. They both like the Swiss song they have been fans of DJ Bobo for years – sometimes Mummy sings his songs to me when we are out on walks.

I hope you are all well,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Atishoo!

Hello again,

A week ago, Auntie Geri and my Melody came for a walk. Auntie Geri introduced us to a whole new walk that my Mummy had thought was on private land so we had not gone there before. We walked across an abandoned airfield where, Mummy says, planes used to take off in wartime. It has been warm and dry here and it is very dusty over there, especially as there are gravel workings right next door blowing dust up behind the lorries. Mummy says it is like walking in Greece when she used to work for a guide book and go exploring out there. She says that she would love to take me and Auntie out to Skiathos to live but that that is just a dream…

It was lovely being with Melody but she was a bit skittish. She yanked the lead out of Geri’s hand at one point and went chasing bunnies and got her paws all cut up – she is much more delicate than me, and gets cut easily.

I was lucky enough to see Bella and Dylan several times in the week, and then Mummy took a day off work on Friday and I had another lovely walk up the airfield with my Melody – we posed for a couple of pictures on the way home so I have asked Mummy to put one on here for you to see.

Auntie came home late on Friday and she had had five pints of cider! On Saturday, she and Mummy were taking on the doorstep about Auntie’s carryings on and the rum came out and both of My People got sozzled. Disgusting!

I kept sneezing over the weekend and felt a bit grotty. Mummy said that it was ‘man flu’. Cheek! I feel a bit better today.

Mummy grooms me all the time but I kept getting itchy so she had a good go through my fur and was upset to discover that the brush and comb she uses were not having much effect on my undercoat and some of it is starting to mat. She is sending ages going through my fur with an undercoat comb now which I don’t mind because I get lots of praise and treats for being a good boy plus it’s undivided attention, which is always good.

My People are a bit upset because the Mother might be moving to their favourite Seaside so that means that we can’t go there any more. Mummy said “Never mind” and declared that if The mother moves to the Seaside where we go, then that means she won’t be at The Seaside where she currently moves so we will go to that one instead – and that one has better shops and takeaways so that’s ok.

I hope you are all well,

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

I'm Back!

Hello!

I am sorry for my absence but I was not a well boy. Well…I felt ok, but I had a fuzzy a fuzzy head and Mummy said that I was being very naughty and a bit unpredictable and I wasn’t thinking right…

We had visitors round and I was very fretful then – there seemed something awkward that day, I sensed an atmosphere. Then I met the lovely Shakira, as I told you, and we had two great big walks…and then I got sick. Mummy said the second fit was really bad and scared her – I don’t really remember these things, but I know that I was headachy for a few days and I couldn’t settle anywhere and kept pacing and my eyes were all funny. Neither Mummy nor I got much sleep, but then I started to get better and we had some lovely walks and sits in the garden and we finished off here week off happily.

On Tuesday, Mummy went back to work and I sulked and sulked. Auntie went over Auntie Claire’s last Friday and then again on Tuesday night – they were practicing a new hairdo for Auntie’s concert on Wednesday. Auntie didn’t come home from work on Wednesday as she was going straight to the concert with Neil from Work and she didn’t come home until the middle of the night so I sulked a lot and chewed the wall at her the next morning…

I have not seen Melody or Emily for ages and I really missed seeing Bella and Dylan in the school holidays. Today, I made up for it though – we went up next to the school and met a new Staffy called Rumble and a Lhasa Apso puppy called chip and Bella and Dylan and we all played together for ages. The Bassets kept putting Chip’s head in their mouths but I was a gentleman and the ladies praised me for being so calm and gentle and also beautiful (of course!).

Well, I am off to watch American Idol – Blake to win, says Mummy!

Regards to all and a special hello to Babe – hope you had a lovely birthday and lotsa nice pressies J

Bruce xxx

A Quick Note

Just a quick note to say that Bruce is feeling much better and should feel up to posting on here again soon

regards

Bruce's Mummy

Hi all,
Bruce is driving me crazy! He had a couple of fits over Easter (should have known better, I had visitors and then we had a couple of extra long walks with a new friend - too much change equals at least one fit guaranteed) and he is settling down now but he is SO clingy! He is following me around the whole time and if I do have to go through a door without him (he's not allowed to do stairs and the loo is up there) then he is lying against the door when I come back and I can't bloomin' open it! He is pacing and pacing at night and on and off during the day, his latest 'craze' is for trying to escape, he keeps sniffing everything and nudging me with his nose then standing there and breathing and drooling on me....

I know I shouldn't moan, when he comes out of fits and is still well and still Bruce I thank God, I really do, but this is supposed to be my relaxing week off - the good side is that I am here for me when he needs me, the bad side is that I am not as patient as I would like to be and though I don't take it out on him, he's driving me nuts!

Thanks for listening, I just needed to let off steam!

Bruce's Ma xxx

edited to say please don't think that I don't care, I'm actually quite worried about him and we will have to take him to the vet (stressful and can start a fit in itself - catch 22) if he doesn't settle soon, but I'm just a mere mortal and my patience can wear a little thin...but I love him so and I'm grateful to have him. I guess this is the reality of having an epileptic dog...

Happy Easter

Hi everyone,

Happy Easter!

I have had an enjoyable week, though I have still been a bit naughty and got moaned at, but I am improving, Mummy says, even though I have been a bit cheeky to Auntie. A couple of times, she called me and I ignored her (I even put on a spurt of speed today when I was trying to get out of the garden and Auntie called me back) and then I grumbled at her when she took hold of my collar to redirect me so I had to apologise and lick her hand to say that I am gentle.

On Saturday, Tracy the Tree Hugger and Steve came over and all the people talked for ages and ages. I got a bit fed up so I kept going from person to person to get a pat on the head or a cuddle and I got told to settle down more than once, but I didn’t care because Steve had brought me some gravy bones and he kept feeding them to me. I like Tracy but I LOVE Steve now!!!

Last week, Mummy got more and more tired and my walks got shorter and shorter – though I did see my Melody one day, but even that was a short walk - but she has really made up for it in the last two days and now I am exhausted! Yesterday, we met a new lady called Cathy and her 9 month old German Shepherd, Shakira. Shakira is jet black and short-haired and very pretty and she runs up to me and barks and play bows and then I chase her and we have lots of fun together. Yesterday, we walked the pair of them all the way back to the town four miles away, where they live, and Mummy lost Mr Fon, her mobile phone, when she was over there so we had to retrace our steps and were gone ages. This morning, she called Mr Fon’s number and spoke to some nice people who had found Mr Fon but they live in that town too, and not long after we set off to walk there, we met Cathy and Shakira again so we all walked together and now I am a tired but happy boy.

My Mummy has this week off work so we will hopefully have some lovely walks and lots of fun together.

I hope you have all had a lovely break and have not eaten too much chocolate (doggy choc for us canine types!),

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Bad Attitude

Hello,

I have been a naughty boy since we last spoke. Mummy says she doesn’t know if it’s my hormones or the full moon or what but she says I am just too full of myself right now and need to remember my manners!

On Sunday, Uncle Rick came over and he came on our walk. I like it when there is a man around as I am a bit starved for male company and I admit, I did growl at other dogs when I met them when I am supposed to have stopped all that some time ago. When we came home, I sat in the garden with Mummy. I am usually a good boy when we do this but I sneaked through a hole in the hedge (two gardens down!) to go sniffing and Mummy fetched me back, and then I ran through it again to go and menace a new Labrador who was walking by. Mummy ran after me and made me walk back nicely and I got a big telling off for rumbling at her in complaint and then she made me sit indoors and went back outside without me so I sulked all evening…and do you know what she said to me, she said “I don’t care! It’s your own fault”. That’s just mean…

On Monday, she made me have my lead on when she sat outside for her lunch and she is being very firm with me about not growling. I tried it on with Auntie this morning when that same Labrador came charging towards me and she told me I hadn’t got to moan at it so I rumbled at her too and got in big trouble from her as well. Maybe I will think twice about answering back in future.

I had a nice walk with Auntie Geri and Melody yesterday. Auntie Geri has lots of plans for her hypnobirthing business and seems very excited by it all.

My Mummy is very tired now and is looking forward to her week off. I will try not to be such a naughty boy so that she can enjoy it…I will try……

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Spring Sunshine And Sicky Brucie

Hello,

Bruce's Mummy here.

Bruce has had a sicky couple of days - one day of bottom end trouble, then two days of puking. He has still had his walks and enjoyed the lovely Spring sunshine and had a good flirt with Bella the Basset yesterday but he hasn't kept much food down. He was sick after his tablets this morning so we are holding our breath waiting to see of he will fit tonight. He did keep his lunch down today and he is currently playing with his Auntie so hopefully he is on the mend and it is just an attack of GSD tummy.

None of us adapted well to the clock change this week so we are all very tired...soon I have a week off which I know Bruce will enjoy.

When he comes back, I know Bruce wants to tell you abut what his auntie Geri has been up to..

regards and Bruce sends his love,

Bruce's Mummy x

Birthday Boy

Hello everyone,

It has been a nice week, apart from when I had a fit on Friday night which Mummy said was My Own Fault because I had spat out a tablet in the morning and Auntie hadn’t realised and when my yukky tablets dose drops, I do sometimes fit. She was still very kind to me when I fitted though and talked to me everso kindly, which I find really helps as I always wake up wondering where I am and what is going on so when I hear my Mummy’s voice (and usually my Auntie’s too) I know that I am at home and am safe and with My People and then I start to know who I am and what’s going on…

It has been very cold and snowy for the last few days so I haven’t seen my friends. On Saturday, Auntie took Mummy out for a meal and I sulked a bit, but they did sneak me home some yummy meat so I forgave them. On Sunday, it was Mother’s Day. I got Mummy some new pink earphones to go with her pink MP3 player and pink phone and pink coat and a card (with Auntie’s help) and Auntie gave her a cd which she is listening to now – she says it is an album about a philosophy of life from something called Radio Caroline – it is Loving Awareness by the Loving Awareness Band.

Auntie was miserable on Monday because she has money worries, but she was also happy because she has a permanent contract at her new job now. She had to go round her bosses’ house after work to conform it and she was late home which made me sulk a lot because it was MY BIRTHDAY!!! I am now a properly grown up boy of 4!!! I got a new ball from Auntie and a glowy Frisbee from Mummy which I have wrecked already (but not drowned because she would not let me in the ponds because the farmer has been spraying and the chemicals make me fit). I also got some yummy tripe sticks…mmm. Tripe sticks….

Well, I must go and throw my glowy ball at Auntie,

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

New Friend

Hello everyone,

I have still been being a bit of a naughty boy but Mummy has still been nice to me. I have seen lots of my friends so it has been a good week. I saw Belle and Dylan – Dylan is getting big now. He gambols around for a while and goes woof woof woof at me then collapses in a heap for a while which apparently is very Basset Hound. Belle flirts with me all the time and jumps around my feet and play bows at me. She’s a bit young for me but I don’t mind the attention. I have also spent time with my friends Juno and buster and today, I made a brand new friend.

Me and Mummy had seen this lady with her little brown dog and we had always gone away from them as the lady always sounded worried. Well, today Mummy couldn’t take me away because the farmer was spraying the fields for the third day running and she can’t walk near the spray because it sets off her asthma. Max, who is a Scottie cross Bichon cross Jack Russell, had a little bark and a little growl at me but I didn’t take much notice, just muttered at him when his teeth got too near to my face. The lady looked very relieved and said that a lot of people dislike the way he behaves and don’t wan their dogs to talk to him but Mummy told her that I was just the same at that age (and still can be sometimes) so we all walked together for a while. I ow officially have a new friend and he is called Max.

Mummy and Auntie have been very stressed and a bit grumpy. Auntie Judy came over on Friday and that didn’t help. The news on the Mother isn’t good. Apparently, when she went into hospital to have water taken out of her (Mummy says it’s called offloading and is done with something called diuretics), the doctors discovered that she was on tablets that would have killed her if she had taken the whole course as they were damaging her kidneys. Now she is off of them but couldn’t have the offloading and is back at The Home, but now she may have a blockage (where she can’t poo and her food can’t go…um…down) and also she can’t stay at The Home any more and will probably come back to this area, which makes My People very unhappy indeed as they don’t feel safe and also because it means that when she gets sick she will go to Mummy’s Hospital and last time that happened, it was Bad.

Also, Auntie Judy wanted to look at Mummy’s Daddy’s Ashes Box and that made Mummy very sad….

I have worked hard to cheer my people up and have been a good boy apart from when I ran off and ate something Secret and was sick all that evening. I keep jumping in ponds and shaking myself all over Mummy. She calls me a Horrible Dog, which I think is very funny.

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Hello everyone,

I am on the mend now. I still have a bit of a fuzzy head and Mummy says I am being naughtier than usual - I forgot myself and put my teeth on her hand – only gently- when we were playing and I ran and jumped at her and these are things I used to do when I was younger and Mummy has taught me not to do. Also, I have been ravenous all the time and have been scavenging and begging for My People’s food, which is another thing that I have been told Not To Do.

I’ll tell you a funny story though – My People have taught me to say their names (two barks and a woo for Auntie, one bark and a woo for Mummy) and today, when Mummy came home, she went upstairs and had a wash but first she put out some doggy treats to take on our walk. Well, I had them away – I know it was naughty of me but I couldn’t resist. When Mummy came down, she said who took these and I barked Auntie’s name! She didn’t believe me though, cos Auntie was at work.

I have seen Buster several times over the last few days. He tried to do rude things to my back end so I ran away. On Saturday, I saw my Emily and Troy and when Troy bit my tail and then my back, I beat him up but Mummy said I am a gentleman because I did not bite him. I want to get on with him but he is scared of me and just tries to bite me so I don’t think it’s going to happen. I am still in love with Emily though…

On Saturday, I drowned my brand new Frisbee in a pond over the fields. Mummy keeps trying to dredge it out with a branch and I keep jumping in and making the water all cloudy and then shaking myself all over her. She says I am a very naughty boy but she is glad I am better enough to be naughty so I am getting away with it. Tee hee….

Well, I am tired now so I will say bye for now,

Regards,

Bruce x

Too Much Noise And A Fit

Hello everyone,

Bruce can’t write to you today because he has had two fits one yesterday and one overnight - and he is a bit dazed and confused today. Other than that, he has had a bit of a mixed week. We were supposed to be getting radiators out in upstairs in our house – all the council houses are – and I had said that we couldn’t get ours done yet because I don’t have the annual leave to take to stay home with Bruce. So the neighbours (both sides) got done last week, which meant lots of banging and crashing and people going up and down our shared garden path. I could tell that Bruce wasn’t happy so let’s say it wasn’t a huge shock when he fitted yesterday. It was a particularly nasty fit though, and I was a bit worried about him. At 4.30 this morning, he fitted again and I decided that my last precious day of annual leave for this year (April-end March) would have to be used today. I have kept things as calm and quiet as possible and he has been ok so far so please wish him well and send healing thoughts that he will remain settled and not fir again for a while…

Looks like I’m not getting my heating done, doesn’t it? If he can’t cope with the men being next door, he’d never handle them being in our house.

The Mother was in hospital again last week and we were told all sorts of dire things by the doctor, but now she has been seen by a consultant, he says that doctor was panicking and she is actually no worse than she was before. Bruce’s Auntie went to see her too, which Auntie is still recovering from….

Hopefully, Bruce will feel well enough to talk to you again soon,

He sends his regards,

Bruce’s Mummy

Mummy's Not Well, But She's Always Right

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have not written for a week, but my Mummy has been unwell and has been too tired to help me. Her asthma has been causing her problems and making her very tired. She has still gone to work and has given me my walks but she has had to sleep a lot too and has not felt like helping me with my photos and posting, especially since she had to go to Accident and Emergency and have a nebuliser on Thursday when she had a really bad attack.

Mummy’s boss and workplace are not very sympathetic or understanding about her asthma so she still went to work when she really should not have done. Even when she had the attack, no-one called across to see how she was (she works in the hospital!) or came to see her when she was getting treatment and her boss showed her little concern when she did come back – it was made clear that as long as she could work, “That’s all I care about”… No wonder Mummy is unhappy there. They have a meeting tomorrow about the review of staff levels – I think that Mummy would breathe a sigh of relief if they did make her redundant…

I have had a nice week. I got to have a walk with my second girlfriend, Melody. She belongs to my Auntie Geri, who very kindly gave us a great big chair for Auntie to sit in that flips back into a sort of bed and throws Auntie backwards. We might get some more of that furniture later in the year depending on what Geri does in her new home. Melody and I were very pleased to see each other. I like to nibble on her ears but I keep getting told off for it.

I have seen my friends Oscar and Leo the Pointers several times this week, and today I saw their friend Smartie the miniature Schnauzer. He is 12 years old and got cancer in his bum (ouch!) and he has had an operation for this (double ouch!) so he has a sore bum…

Yesterday and Friday, I had to have short walks because Mummy is tired so she took my ball wanger and I chased my ball a lot. I was being naughty on Friday and Mummy got a bit cheesed off with me and then yesterday she was very strict when I was naughty and really made me pay attention and do what she asked of me, which was fair enough as I was ignoring her all because things kept going bang. If Auntie tries to sleep downstairs at night, I torment her to make her go upstairs to bed, but Mummy wasn’t having that last night either and she kept making me lie down and behave. Today, we did lots of obediency things on my walk so I showed her that I get the message by walking beautifully on the lead on the way home.

Now Auntie is hoovering so I have to go off and attack the hoover.

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Snow And Sulks

Hello,

We had snow on Thursday. Mummy left for work on time and took ages to get there, only to be greeted with a message saying that however late you were, you had to stay that late after your shift. Mummy refused. She said that she has to get back to me and she would do it in half hour chunks but that's her limit. She left on time that day and got home to me earlier than usual, as the roads had cleared. The next day, she found out that they didn't have to make up the time after all so she was pleased…well, more "should think so too" than pleased, but happier than she was!

We had a nice walk in the snow. Half way through, when we were in the wood, we met Cassie's family – their son Stuart was with them with his dog, a pretty Chocolate Labrador called Bella. We all walked together and Bella told me off when I tried to round her up so she got put on the lead but I didn't mind really, as I did ask for it!

Mummy was really tired on Friday and it was raining and raining. She had worked an extra half an hour and then missed a bus because she was shopping so I was upset with her for being late and I cried and cried into her lap to tell her so. Our walk was not a lot of fun, and we both got very wet and muddy, then we went round Auntie Angie's and she gave me two sausages, which made me feel a lot better.

Yesterday, Mummy and Auntie went out for lunch with Tracy the Tree hugger and her man, Steve. I was really put out that Mummy was leaving me again and I withheld her cuddles to punish her when she came home. This morning though, she woke up almost crying because she had been dreaming that Auntie Judy was going to make her have The Mother live with her again and nobody was supporting her or being on her side (my Auntie was not there in the dream or she would have stood up for Mummy - always) and it got her so upset that she woke up with a muffled sob. I went and kissed her face and then we had a nice long cuddle – I lay down alongside her and put my 'arms' around her and tried to make her feel better. I think I did too good a job of it, though, because she went back to sleep and I had to get her up at 11.30!

Uncle Ricky came round just as we were getting ready to go for my walk and I had waited long enough what with her lie-in, thank you, so I kept going to the door until she got the hint and took me out and left him talking to Auntie – but not before we showed him some of my Doggy Dance moves so that he would know that I am just as good as that dog that was on the telly the other day.

On my walk today, the best thing ever happened – I saw my Emily! She used to be my regular girlfriend and I used to walk with her and Auntie Raye a lot but when Raye got Troy the puppy, we (me and Troy) decided we didn't like each other and we growl at each other. Each time we meet, I try to get him to play and he still snaps at me (all because I pushed him over into a ditch when he was little!), but today Emily told him to play and I really tried to be polite to him because it would be nice if we could get on so that I can be with my Emily and we managed our biggest distance ever without things getting too rowdy. I can't be on the lead round him yet as I don't trust him – he has tried to bite my back end several times and there are a couple of things back there that are precious to me! It was lovely to be with my Emily though – I have other girlfriends (platonic only, Mummy insists) but Emily is my One True Love…

I hope you are all well,

Regards,

Bruce xxx

Sunset Shenanigans

Hello again,

On Monday night, my Auntie went to Singing group with Auntie Claire for the first time in ages. I was so put out about her going out that I tried to open the window by bashing the handle with my nose and Mummy told me to stop that straight away.

We have some very cold weather at the moment and the fields are nice and dry. Yesterday, I kept jumping into all the ponds and puddles and Mummy said that I must be completely mad!

Today, we saw Mr C and Leo – Leo kept jumping up at me but I was good and hardly growled at all, I just went and stood with Mummy when he got too much for me. We saw Bella and Baby Dylan the Bassets as well – Dylan keeps baby woofing at me, he is very funny. Up the wood, we saw the man who owns the wood – he was wielding a chainsaw so we stood still until he realised we were there as it wasn’t wise to startle him! He spent ages talking to Mummy – he said how handsome I am (of course) and also it was funny because he was telling Mummy how much he doesn’t like to talk to people and yet he was still talking and we wanted to move on!

All walk long, Mummy kept trying to take pictures of me and every time she got the camera out I either pulled my fed up face, turned my head away or yawned. She says I am a tormenty dog, and I do it on purpose…and she’s right! Tee hee…

There was a beautiful sunset tonight too so we stopped and watched it for a while.

When we got home, Auntie Angie brought round some chicken for me and Mummy gave me a little but said I had to wait until supper for the rest as it was too warm. I kept trying to get into the kitchen to steal it and even put my paws up on the counter (I got shouted at for that and called bad boy) but I didn’t get any – I will wait for supper, it will be worth it…

regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Sad News For Auntie's Friends

Hello everyone,

I heard some sad news today. All my life, I have known a pretty Rough Collie called Cassie. Today, I heard that she died. Apparently, her liver failed. Her People seemed very sad. Their daughter is an old friend of Auntie’s – she even stayed in our house and looked after uncles Benjamin and Barney (the dogs before me) while My People went on holiday (they won’t go on holiday without me because of my fits, but they used to like going to a place called Greece because uncles B and B could cope with it). The weird thing is that we heard earlier in the week that the dog belonging to Auntie’s Best Friend, Auntie Claire, also died – he was a Springer spaniel called Dylan and he was alright…

So Auntie has two sad friends right now…

Mummy had a run of horrible days at work. She had to do extra work while one of her team was off, and then the third team member went off and did some training elsewhere so she was pretty mad about that (she said the training should have got shifted to another time). All of her clients, she said, were mad, grumpy, or crying (she works in a hospital), and her boss was getting snippy so Mummy got fed up. Then, on Friday, when she got back to her own area, the first person she went to got very sick indeed so that was pretty horrible to have to deal with. She had to work an extra day this week too and now she is very tired because I have had an upset stomach for the last two days and I keep waking her up so I can go out. Auntie stayed home with me and took me for a walk (Mummy did an extra long shift and was home later than usual) and we had lots of fun together. I cuddled Mummy for a long time when she finally came home and sat down.

Today, when we climbed through a ditch, a branch pinged back at Mummy and hit her in the eye but I think she is ok. It made her eye run a lot and she was afraid she would get a black eye and all of her patients would make fun of her and crack jokes about needing their beds etc.

Regards to all,

Bruce xxx

Hello,

Sorry I have not been writing. All is well. It was uncle Benjamin's (the dog before me) anniversary so Mummy was sad, and then we were busy....

My Auntie had an operation - that day wasn't a normal day at all - Auntie stayed home from work and took me out for a walk in the pouring rain and gail force winds, then she went off and left me on my own. Not a problem, I thought, Mummy will come home at lunchtime - but she didn't. Auntie Angie, our neighbour, looked in on me and gave me a cuddle mid-afternoon, then she took me round her house and I watched The Simpsons with her children - little Lauren was snuggled up to me so I tried to keep still and be gentle. But I wanted My People to come home and I wondered where they had got to.

When My People eventually came home, Auntie smelled all funny, of chemicals, and she had a patch on her eye - when she took it off her eye was all bloody and she was crying red tears. Apparently she had a squint correction done on her eye and now both of her eyes look in the same direction. I beat Mummy up for leaving me for so long but she promised me that I wouldn't get left alone on Friday and I didn't because they both stayed home from work.

The next day, Mummy and I had a nice walk and me and Auntie had lots of cuddles. We had thought we would be waiting in for the Washing Machine Repair Man and Mummy and I got up nice and early but then they called to say he wasn't coming so Mummy was cross. That made three weeks without that machine (good, I don't like it roaring) - luckily, Auntie Angie washes stuff for us round hers as I do like to make My People nice and muddy! Hehe. On our walk, we went to The Woods and looked at all the trees that had fallen down in the gales - when Auntie was being operated on, there were huge gales everywhere - apparently the electric kept dropping at the hospital and Mummy was worried.

Uncle Ricky came round that weekend to show off his new motorbike and to see how Auntie was - I like him, he gives really good rubs! Mummy and I saw Simone's Mum and her two Silly Little Dogs (Yorkies) and she and Mummy talked for a while. In the wood, poor Mummy got her trouser leg tangled in a broken tree she was climbing over and fell down so I helped her up - she has a lovely sore scraped bruisy leg now. Later, Auntie Geri knocked at the door and she had my girlfriend Melody with her so I shouted until Mummy let me out to speak to her while they chatted for ages.

Auntie went back to work on the monday, even though Mummy had told her not to. Mummy and I had a nice walk that day, even though it was FREEZING!!!! Mummy is teaching me to turn right when she asks me to and also she was really pleased with me because she has been teaching me to find her keys and then say 'woof', and we hadn't done it since last Wednesday but I remembered to say 'woof' when I found them and she cuddled me and patted me and praised me and it was lovely - well, German Shepherds are the most intelligent breed!

Mummy was throwing this big branch for me on our walk, and I was leaping across the ditches and down this big hill and it was fun, but tiring. When we got back, I had my dinner and watched her do her housework then Auntie came home early - she had been driven home by Phil from work because she was exhausted and her eye looked very sore. She apologised to Mummy for not listening to her and admitted that she should have taken today off and gone back to work tomorrow like Mummy said.

Mummy managed not to say "I told you so"....

Auntie went upstairs for a kip so when Mummy sat down I climbed on her lap for a kip and then she fell asleep and it was nice and cosy. Mummy woke up first and when Auntie came down, they sat and talked about their day and I climbed on Mummy again and snoozed - sometimes I would wake up and stare in her eyes and tell her I love her, then I snoozed again.

Then I had a fit that night and felt a bit grotty the next day....

I was very pleased when we met Mr C and Leo the Pointer. Mr C had said that he couldn't cope with Leo any more after he hopped over the fence and "had" two of the neighbours' chickens, but now he has decided to keep him and just stop Leo from eating the hens. Leo and I were playing but Mr C got a bit pulled about so we hadn't better play like that any more. Mummy was pleased with me for playing so nicely though because I can get growly with other dogs so she likes it when I am polite.

On Thursday, there was a smattering of snow so Mummy took the camera out to take pictures of me but I think posing is boring so I kept pulling a miserable face just as she got the shot set up. Tee hee.

Auntie stayed home from work last Friday, and she took me out and then we waited for the Washing Machine Man to come. The Man came (hooray!) and I was polite to him and laid down quietly so I got praised for being a good boy, but then Auntie went and ruined it for me when Mummy got home by telling her that I had muttered bad words at her that morning when she grabbed my collar and tried to stop me from glaring at Max and The Horrible Collie and Their Horrible Owner when we all know that I hate the dogs and Mummy hates the man ever since Max bullied me when I was a pup and That collie tried to have a go at me and my girlfriend and I swore at him and chased him off. Mummy said I should not growl at my people and I know that, I just get frustrated sometimes when they won't let me do what I want to do.

On Saturday, My People left me alone while they went to the pictures and saw Rocky Balboa and ate fajitas. I had two short walks when Mummy took the wanger and wanged my ball a long way. When I got tired I wrecked my ball and then took it to a ditch and drowned it (hehe) so Mummy called me a horrible dog.

Don't care....she doesn't mean it...

By the way, Auntie had to go back to The Hospital about her eye cos it swelled up all big and purply so Mummy insisted and made the appointment and everything. It turned out that one of the stitches was sitting above the surface of her eye and irritating her eyelid so she had that stitch removed and now she is much better and her eye is starting to look the proper colour agan. Nice Neil from work gave her a lift home after The Hospital and we are very grateful as we didn't want Auntie to travel home alone (Mummy was home with me) so thank you Neil.

Uncle Ricky came over on Sunday and The People had a very honest discussion about The Mother. Auntie Judy wants to move her back to this area and none of them want that because she does Bad Things and turns up at My People's workplaces and say Bad things too. Apparently she used to try to break into our house as well, and My People are worried that this would be hard for me to cope with - Uncle Benjamin used to live with The Mother when my People still looked after her, and once the family split up he would shout at her as he didn't want her anywhere near Our People.

This week so far has been quite quiet and my Mummy had an asthma attack at work today so I won't ask her to help me type any more (I'm dictating today!),

regards to all, Bruce xxx